Whenever a conversation starts around superfood berries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cranberries and acai berries hog all the antioxidant limelight. Full of nutrients, these fruits are usually the first one to come to mind; acai, in particular, is very popular because of its perceived high antioxidant properties.
In terms of nutritional content and antioxidant properties, there is one superfood that trumps them all though, and it is the lesser heard of blackcurrant. Blackcurrants pack a surprisingly strong nutritional punch. Compared to equally sized servings of other fruits such as green apples, blueberries, raspberries and even pomegranates, blackcurrants contain more vitamin C. These tiny berries also contain anthocyanins, an antioxidant that has been proven to help ward off cardiovascular disease, joint inflammation and even some types of cancer.
Despite all of these benefits, blackcurrants remain a bit of a mystery, particularly in North America. Aside from the gimmicky drink, Ribena, none of the other NoFilter Editors could name a single product in supermarkets that had blackcurrants in it. As for Ribena, it’s NOT a trusted source of genuine blackcurrant juice. Read about why here and here. So when we received an invitation to visit 360 Farm with Dr Wai in Ontario, Canada, we naturally jumped at the chance to learn more about the elusive blackcurrant.
If you are looking to reap the antioxidant and nutrient benefits of blackcurrants, read on. We’ll share what we learned on our field trip to 360 Farm.
Budding currants
Sour to the taste and deep purple, almost black in color, blackcurrant shrubs are native to parts of northern Europe and northern Asia. The actual berries start off as a green fruit and take on their signature rich color by the midsummer harvest, typically in August.
Prior to the invention of the handy vitamin C tablets we have on hand today, juice from the blackcurrant was boiled with sugar to create a vitamin C rich syrup that was given to children and was used to soothe sore throats.
While blackcurrants can be eaten raw, their strong tart flavor shines best when made into jam or used as sauces in cooking and baking.
How to Enjoy Blackcurrants At Home
As a sauce for meat: the sweetness and tartness of blackcurrants make them a great pairing with pork. Pair a dijon mustard and blackcurrant marinade with roast for an enjoyable fall/winter meal. Be inspired by this Danish Roasted Pork Loin recipe or this recipe for Pork Chops with Black Currant Preserves.
In baked goods: dried black currants can be purchased from most grocery stores and health food markets. If you are feeling ambitious, try these recipes for your next holiday dinner party: Currant Tart and Currant Scones.
DIY jam: this simple recipe, featured in BBC, only requires fresh blackcurrants, sugar and lemon. Dr. Wai walked us through the steps of making our own jam, more on that to come closer to the holidays!
Or simply, pick up some blackcurrant preserve and smear over toast, scones and muffins!
Try out the recipes with these suggested items:
- Bob’s Red Mill Black Currants (Dried)
- Tip Tree Black Currant Preserve – with biscuits and a cup of tea, just like how the English like it.
- Edmond Fallot Blackcurrant Dijon Mustard – great as a marinade
